<p>Hi guys, the title says it all but just to reiterate, what do most international students do over thanksgiving and christmas break when they do not have the option of going back home? I understand that most dorms close over the break but is there an exception for international students? If so, do we have to pay extra to stay?</p>
<p>I’m planning to visit my friends at other colleges around the US. </p>
<p>Your college might ask those staying over winter break to move into one particular dorm. I don’t think you have to pay for it, but I’m not sure.</p>
<p>Some will go to their friends homes as well.</p>
<p>Colleges with a large international student population (especially a large population of international students on financial aid) sometimes provide housing over break. </p>
<p>My own undergraduate college provided winter break housing for a nominal fee ($100); however, it was rather uncomfortable. The dorms didn’t have kitchens, all on-campus eateries were closed and off-campus eateries were often hard to reach on foot amidst several snow storms. Regular housekeeping services were suspended, so the trash cans were flowing over, we ran out of toilet paper and the communal bathrooms got rather gross (nobody felt responsible for cleaning them since we didn’t have to clean them during the school year either). There was very little space in the dorm rooms; since only a few dozen students stayed over break, we all got relocated to a single dorm - with the academic year’s residents’ stuff still in the rooms. All we got to use was the bed and floorspace. The closet was filled & locked with regular resident’s stuff, the desk was piled up with resident’s stuff (and a note please not to touch the desk), and in most rooms the space under the bed was occupied too.</p>
<p>During shorter breaks (thanksgiving & spring), the dorms remained open for all students but the dining halls were closed.</p>
<p>Most international students seem to travel over break though. Some go home, some visit family in the US, some visit their American friends from college, some visit their international friends at other US universities.</p>
<p>I’m going to attend an East Coast college next year. The main reason for choosing a college on the East coast is that flights to Europe are much cheaper and much smaller. With that in mind I can go back home over Thanksgiving, Christmas and Spring Break…Well, I’m not quite sure about Thanksgiving…how long is the break on thanksgiving?</p>
<p>I don’t think it’s very long… About five days to a week?</p>
<p>You should check your college’s calendar.</p>
<p>My college allows some international students to stay at a local hotel, but most students go home or travel to visit friends/family in the US. Christmas break is only a couple of weeks, so if you can find one place to be for one week, and another place to visit for another, you’re pretty much set. </p>
<p>Also, for shorter breaks, it’s definitely possible to visit friends. My college is open for thanksgiving and spring break, but the dining halls aren’t open for the whole time. I went to a friend’s house for thanksgiving, and it was great to be in a family environment, to explore a new area of the US and to experience thanksgiving! For spring break I went to different friend’s house for a week, and spent a week chilling in my dorm. That was actually a lot of fun - there were other internationals on campus, so we hung out, and it was nice to have some peace. My school also has a lot of things going on during spring break for students - there are overseas volunteering trips, international relations trips, camping trips (you get the picture…), so if you want something to do, depending on which college you go to, you can probably find something.</p>